The Ayleid King Magnus
by Umaril
Summary: The Tale of an Ayleid prince, who leads his people to war against the Slave Queen Alessia.
1. Prologue: A Prince

Prologue: A Prince

Magnus, an Ayleid Warrior Prince, sat on his throne in the city of Narfinsel, on the border of the Great Forest. He contemplated how he would tell his people of the threat coming their way from the self-proclaimed Queen of the Imperials, Alessia. She had defeated the neighbouring cities of Piukanda, Ninendava, Lipsand Tarn and Moranda, and her other armies had conquered the Ayleid cities of the North-East. Magnus knew he was in a dire situation, for the king of Ninendava, Veloth, was a noted warrior and yet still he was defeated by the Slave Queen. And worse still, the Imperials had formed an alliance with the Nords of Skyrim, a savage and brutal race of fighters from the Northern lands.

Magnus' butler, Therius, pushed open the huge stone doors of his master's chambers.

'My Lord,' he called. ' The congregation will be arriving any moment now, are you ready? '

'Yes Therius,' Magnus replied. ' I'll be down in a minute, make sure that everything is in order. Tell the captain to deploy the guards at every entrance, this night is too important for any mishaps.'

'Yes Milord.' The butler turned and ran down the long flight of stone steps to the guard barracks. Prince Magnus was wearing his best clothes, red velvet robes and a huge amulet, set with gleaming sapphires to signify his high position as leader of an Ayleid city. He wore a light, Mithril shirt underneath the robes however, just in case an Imperial might attempt an assassination. He had to be extra vigilant because the prince of Piukanda was assassinated by a well known criminal, Numonius.

The young warrior walked down the narrow corridor into the Narfinsel _Sel Baune _(Halls of the Mighty), passing the tombs of his ancestor kings as he went. He prayed for awhile at his father's tomb, as he often did when he passed this way. An inscription was engraved upon the tombs face:

'_Nou Adonai Aran,_

_Magnerius'_

'Our lordly king, Magnerius,' recited Magnus. Magnus had never seen his mother. She died giving birth to him and his father died when he was only ten years of age. His uncle fostered him and trained him in preparation for becoming a prince until he died two years before. But by now he was well able to take care of himself. He had proved his skill and prowess many times in battles against the beastfolk from the South and the green-skinned Orcs from the Wrothgarian and Dragontail Mountains.


	2. Chapter One: Invasions

Chapter One: Invasions

Magnus strode up onto the podium before his people. There was about 150 there in all. He looked around at the three entrances to the Narfinsel _Varlasel_ (Hall of Stars) and saw two guards deployed at each door.

'My people,' he began. 'As you probably already know, a queen has risen to lead the Imperial slaves. They are revolting against us and they have already claimed four of our cities.' A loud grating sound grabbed everyone's attention. The stone huge doors of the main entrance swung open and a scout, wearing torn armour and holding half of a broken sword, ran up to the Ayleid prince

'Milord, Alessia's armies have captured Hrotanda Vale. They are setting up camp not far from here,' he said in a hushed tone. 'I came across a scout party guarding the main army. Me, Geldraen and the other men destroyed them, but only I survived. It won't be long until she finds out, it is nearly morning, they may be here by nightfall.' A loud murmuring broke out in the audience.

'Find the Guard Captain, tell him to gather all the fighters he can get, including the ones from nearby settlements, and deploy them here when I have finished speaking, then gather the Archers and station them on the walls outside,' ordered Magnus

'Yes Milord.' The scout ran out one of the side doors and down into the Dungeons.

'My people, it has come to my attention that the armies of the Slave Queen have now captured Hrotanda Vale.' Again, murmuring rang through the hall. 'Silence!' cried Magnus.'The main Imperial army may be here before dark. I need the women and children to go into the furthest chambers of the city. Any men who can fight must go down to the Armory now and get equipment for the battle.' The crowd started moving and buzzing like a hive of bees. Magnus returned to his Chambers where Therius was waiting. He had his armor laid out on the bed.

'Your battledress, Milord.' said Therius picking up the Cuirass and handing it to Magnus. The Prince put on his gleaming Ebony armor. It was over 600 years old, used by his forefathers in many battles, but still in perfect condition. Like his amulet, it was set with huge sapphires and bore many magickal enchantments.

'Your sword, Milord.' Therius handed Magnus A huge Elven claymore, the one he had used so many times before. _'Vabria Malari' _or 'GoldWave' in the common tongue, it had Magickal fire damage and banished the souls of Evil creatures. Magnus slung it on his back and clambered down the stairs back to the Varlasel. His men were fully assembled there and the benches had been pushed to one side. They bowed as he entered.

The scout, now wearing a new set of Mithril, walked up to the Ayleid Prince.

'Milord,' he said. ' We have assembled 500, fully equipped men. I have deployed the Archers on the walls. Caeldren the Healer has escorted the women and children into the Dungeons. We're ready.'

'Very good. Now, go out there with the rest of the Archers, I will be out in a minute with the rest of the army.


	3. Chapter Two: The Battle For Narfinsel

Chapter Two: The Battle For Narfinsel

'Right men, move out!' Shouted Magnus. The small army of Elven warriors moved out of the Hall of Stars and out into the open. They marched single file, rank by rank out of the master-crafted stone doors of Narfinsel. The cavalry from the nearby town of Hedron's Rest greeted Magnus outside. They were equipped with the fine, golden-coloured armor and beatiful longbows and spears that the Narfinsel Elves crafted for them years before.

'You have helped us in times of need, Magnus.' said the leader, Thorvall. 'Now we come to return that favour.'

'Thank you, friend,' said Magnus. 'How many men do you have?'

'We have 55 cavalry and 20 Archers, but they are of the finest quality men you could command.' replied Thorvall.

'Good, tell your men to hide in the forest, when the Alessians attack, charge from the forest and hit their rear flank. You are in charge of this group from now on. Thorvall with a nod rode off into the forest with his men. By now the Warriors had lined up in a ring formation around the city and the Archers on top of the walls could see for miles. It was nearly nightfall.

Magnus, beside the scout, Kalliel, could see the torches off to the North. He guessed there was at least 1,000 men in the Imperial army though they were not well equipped. Kalliel, with his keen eyes, could make out a figure in gold in front of the army. 'Alessia.' he thought. When they got closer Magnus recognized the armour she wore was that of Veloth, the king of Ninendava, this made him burn with hatred of this so-called queen. Magnus and Kalliel mounted their horses and strode out to the front line.

'My brothers,' he cried, the time has come for you to defend your homes from this Witch-Queen. If you want her to conquer The White-Gold Tower and all of Cyrodiil then go out there and join her army.' The men looked nervous. The Imperial army was fast approaching. None of the Elves moved.

'I for one will not let this happen.' Again there was silence. The Elven cavalry moved up beside Magnus.

'These men are no fighters, they are slave-scum. They revolted against us and now they deserve to die.' He shouted out louder this time. 'For Veloth and the other kings, we will kill these bastards!' A great cheer went up from the ranks of The Elves and they moved forward. Magnus and the cavalry went ahead screaming war-cries. The front line of Imperials were taken down by a hail of arrows fired from atop the walls just before the Elven horses crashed into the ranks of soldiers. By now Alessia had retreated back into the centre of the army so she was out of danger for the moment.

In all the curfew a throwing spear was thrown at Magnus from one of the Imperial generals. He quickly dodged it and caught it left-handed in mid-air. He sheathed his shortsword and threw the spear back with all of his strength. It caught the General in the thigh and crippled him. Kalliel quickly dispatched him with a decapitating sword movement. As he was charging towards another soldier, Magnus' horse was shot by an Imperial arrow to the head. It skidded to a halt and Magnus was thrown to the ground. He looked up to see a golden figure in front of him, it was Alessia.

Thorvall shouted and his band surged forward. Coming out of the forest he saw the battle raging on, and in the midst of the fighting, he saw Goldwave slashing up and down. He charged forward with all speed and collided with the unsuspecting rear flank of the Slave-Army. His warriors mowed the Imperials to the ground and had quickly dispatched 75 soldiers. His Archers in the trees let fly thier beatifully-crafted arrows and took down two score more of them. The battle was turning thier way.

Magnus was getting tired but Alessia showed no signs of weariness. Goldwave was notched and his armor was starting to wear. At last he saw his opening. Thorvall galloped by and took a swing at the queen. She blocked and swung towards him hitting him in the side and knocking him off his horse. Magnus pushed her to the ground and held his dagger to her throat. However he did not see an Imperial knight approaching swiftly. The knight kicked Magnus in the head keeling him over and making him black out. The last thing Magnus saw that day was Thorvall taking down the knight and Alessia running away with the remnants of her army.


	4. Chapter Three: Casualties

Chapter Three: Casualties

It was not until the next day that Magnus awoke. He was in the _Sel Anyammis _or Healing Chambers. Magnus looked up at the tiled roof. He recognised many healing spells woven into the stone. Caeldren the Healer walked past and noticed his eyes were open.

'Milord, you're awake!' he said delightedly. 'We thought you would never wake up again!'

'I got a nasty blow to the head from a steel boot, I don't think I'll be able to get up for a few hours.' said Magnus croakily.

'There's someone here to see you,' siad Caeldren opening the door. Thorvall stepped in and sat down at Magnus' bedside. He was smoking a huge, oak pipe and was bandaged all across his side, the part where Alessia had struck him.

'Well my friend, we won!' said Thorvall thriumphantly. 'Those pigs did'nt know what hit them! A scout from Lindai has reported seeing the remnants of the army heading North towards Skyrim.'

'North!?.. To Skyrim! They are going to join forces with the Nords!' shouted Magnus.'Send a scout party out immediately to track them and make sure that they listen in on their conversations. If they don't, the battle we just won would be a waste. The Alessians are setting up forts all across Tamriel, they could strike from almost any direction and hit almost any city. We just need to know when and where they are going to do it. Oh,' he grabbed Thorvall by the arm. 'I almost forgot. Make sure to send Kalliel with them, he's our best scout.'

'I'm afraid we cannot send Kalliel with them, Milord.' said Thorvall sadly.

'Why? Why not, has something happened?' asked Magnus.

'He died last night. He was outnumbered three to one, he killed two but as he struck the second Imperial down, The third cracked his skull with a mace.'

'Oh.' Magnus hung his head. 'I should have been there,' he thought. 'I should have helped him.' Thorvall walked out of the room, his empty quiver still on his back and his Elven longsword still at his side. Magnus lay thinking for a moment.

'Caeldren!' he called, ' go and get Therius and tell him to come down here!'

'Yes Milord.' Caeldren headed up the stairs and turned down the Sel Baune corridor.

Moments later Caeldren returned with Therius at his side.

'You called for me Milord?' he said and sat down opposite the bed.

'Therius, how many soldiers have we left?' asked Magnus urgently.

'About 220 is all that is left now, sir. The men from Hedron's Rest are staying here for a few weeks to help clear the battlefield. The scouts have reported that Hrotanda Vale is now unoccupied and they are freeing the survivors from the dungeons as we speak, when they are ready they will bring them back here to join our force.'

'Tell Naraloth and the other blacksmiths to get the armor and weapons repaired, we may have to go to war again in a matter of weeks.' said Magnus. 'I have sent a scout party to follow Alessia and her men. When we learn of their battle plans we will launch an attack before they can take over more Ayleid cities. Send out riders to Elenglynn, Wendir and Lindai and tell them to be ready for battle at any time in the next few weeks.


	5. Chapter Four: Preparations

Chapter Four: Preparations

Magnus was finishing his breakfast in the main hall two weeks later when the scout captain returned. His armor looked clean, so Magnus suspected that they got into no fights, just as he wanted.

'My lord, we have urgent news.' he siad. 'The Alessians have made an alliance with the Nords. They are first planning to pass through Resdayn and on into Northern Argonia. From there they are going to go west and attack the city of Malada, near the Panther river, where the Carving and other Relics and Artifacts are being held. Even now they are in Riften, gathering supplies for the journey. Alessia will not be with them however, she has instead turned her attention to High Rock, home of the Bretons.

'Do you have any idea how many Nords will be with them?' asked Magnus.

'We did'nt see them but from what we heard, there will be thousands. They are gathering fighters from every major city in Skyrim.'

'Okay, you can leave now, I will call for you again in a few hours.' said Magnus. When the scout left, he called for Therius. His butler was beside him in seconds.

'Therius, I need you to send the riders back to Elenglynn, Wendir and Lindai. Tell them to be here, fully armed and ready for war in three days time. We are travelling to Malada. I also need you to ask Thorvall and his men to come along and bring with them anyone they can find from the surrounding settlements, we're going to need every one we can get.'

'Yessir, right away!' Therius got up off his seat and ran through the main doors out to the stables.

Three days later the army of The Great Forest was assembled on the battlefield outside Narfinsel. 1,200 men from Lindai, 500 from Narfinsel, Hedron's Rest and the surrounding settlements, 100 prisoners from Hrotanda Vale, 500 men from Elengylnn and 800 from Wendir, bringing the total to just over 3,000 soldiers, archers and cavalry. The king of Lindai, Naslorn, greeted Magnus with a friendly handshake and the Princes of Elenglynn and Wendir, Faenor and Valverde, followed suit. The army began their march in the afternoon, going South, following the banks of Lake Rumare.

After a day's march, the Elves stopped for a rest at the Ayleid city of Ceyatatar or 'Shadow of the Fatherwoods'. Magnus asked for their help but their army was already at full strain, fighting the Beastfolk of Elsweyr in their desert province. The army's stay was short, for they had to make haste towards Malada and the Slave-Queen's armies. By the second day of marching, the Elves passed into the region called the Nibenay Basin, a rich, grassy, fertile land along the banks of The Great River. The day was uneventful except for the odd deer springing across the road or a wolf running away in fright on seeing the sight of the huge army.

The Ayleids stopped for a while at another city called Sardavar Leed near the Great Bridge across the Niben. They did not, however, go inside. They had heard the stories about the terrible plague of Spriggans taking over the city and killing it's people. It was deserted except for some small rats eating the remains of the cities former inhabitants, with their black bones, burnt by the Spiggans' Magickal fire.

On the third day of marching, the army crossed the Great Bridge, it's beatiful stonework reflected in the crystal clear waters of the Niben below. The army continued on South at the far side of the bridge where they met a large group of Elves carving huge stone blocks. When asked what they were doing, they said they were building a tower to house one of the Ten Ancestor statues. They planned to call it Culotte. The army passed the builders and settled down for camp in the middle of a small wood.

Later that night, one of the the men on guard let out a scream:

'Goblins, men! Goblins!' Magnus leapt up out of his bedroll and scrambled for his longsword. A small group of Elves were engaged in combat with some large Goblins just outside the the wood. He wondered how they could be so brazen as to attack an army of 3,000. Just as he was running to aid the men in defeating the evil creatures, another shout came from the other side of the camp. More Goblins! Magnus continued on, hoping that the men could defeat them without suffering any casualties. He charged into the scuffle, swinging his sword and decapitating two Goblins at the same time. When the brawl was over he checked the creatures for anything of use. He found nothing only lockpicks and the bones of small animals but he noticed that the Goblins on that side of the camp had different symbols on their shields to the ones on the other side. It was then that he realised that they had camped in the middle of a battlefield. He asked Faenor, who had fought the goblins on the other side, how many Elves died in the fight.

'Only two men died on this side Magnus,' he replied. 'However, they were my men and I think we should have a funeral for them.'

'That is only just.' said Magnus.

The following morning the two Elves were buried. Caeldren the Healer, who they had brought with them on the journey, said some prayers for them. The Ayleids had to continue on in haste now because they had wasted an hour of the day's marching already and feared that Malada might soon be under attack.


	6. Epilogue: A King

Epilogue: A King

Night was closing in as the Army of the Great Forest settled down for camp beside Lake Poppod. They were nearing their destination. Magnus got hardly any sleep, he kept having visions of a stone, a huge boulder with glowing red writing inscribed upon it. A pallid, long-fingered hand hand pointed towards it. When he turned to look at the man, his insides froze. It was his father. Each time, Magnus woke up with a cold sweat running down his face.

A red sun rose in the morning, it was going to rain. It was not long until the downpour started. The Elves trudged through the mud, occasionally getting stuck. There was no wildlife here, except for some wolves or Imps hiding in the shadows of the undergrowth. They continued on for another few hours until it was nearly dusk. The army approached a tall, steep hill, with a path carved into the side of it. The were there at last, it was Malada. Magnus knew that at the other side of the hill was the Ayleid city. They could faintly hear the clash of steel at the far side. The battle had started without them.

When they reached the top, the army encircled the huge Ayleid city. Magnus looked down and saw at least 10,000 Nords and Imperials, fighting 2,000 Elves. They hadn't come a moment too soon. When the army was formed he ordered a hail of arrows down onto the Alessians. The warriors below looked up and saw The Army of The Great Forest preparing a charge. The Maladians let out a great cheer and fought on harder than ever, pushing the Alessians back towards the crest of the hill. Then Magnus ordered the charge.

'My Ayleid brothers, the time has come that we have all been waiting for. You have travelled across Tamriel to defend our country and save your people. You have come this far and now you will finish your journey. For the White-gold tower, for our dead kings and for Cyrodiil,... CHARGE!! The army surged down the hillside and collided with the Imperial bowmen at the back of the force. Then the Elven bowmen on the hill released another volley of arrows, killing many Nord knights and warriors. Magnus took a swing at a Nord cavalry captain but his blow was deflected, his sword bouncing backwards. The captain swung his battleaxe but Magnus didn't have time to block with his sword so he leant back on the horse's back, went too far and fell off the horse. Quickly, he pulled out GoldWave and cut the legs off the Nord captain and charged another two Imperials. He spun on the spot with the claymore outstretched and slashed them both on the chest with one swing, bursting their lungs.

After a few hours of fighting, he turned and looked around to see how the battle was going. A poisoned arrow hit him in his left shoulder, sending him into a daze. A Nord with a huge warhammer ran up to him and hit him full force in the chest, breaking many of his ribs and sending him flying several yards backwards. His head hit a stone and he fell unconscious.

The battle finished when Nasloth, king of Lindai, and the remainder of his personal guard finished off the last Imperial, sticking a spear in his chest. They were the only survivors. It was a great victory but the loss was also great. They searched the battlefield for Magnus, Faenor and Valverde. First they found Faenor and Valverde lying side by side with axes in their throats. They took the axes out and carried their bodies away. Then Nasloth saw Magnus, lying against the stone walls of Malada, clutching the arrow in his shoulder.

'You fought bravely... King, for you are better than just a prince. The Alessians are dead, we won, don't you see Magnus? You led us to victory. You, are a king.

'Tell Therius to elect a new prince,... I am dying. The arrow was poisoned and my body is limp.' said Magnus hoarsely. ' Goodbye my Ayleid brother, see you at The Gates of Aetherius.' With that last word, Magnus rose to join his father and the other great kings, to live on forever.

King Magnus died in the year 1E 230, along with the remainder of his race in the following 15 years. He brought 57 Alessians with him that day however and is buried beneath the Magnus Doomstone at the source of The Panther River with his comrades Faenor and Valverde. He grants his great powers to anyone he deems worthy at that great boulder and lives on in their hearts, fighting for what is right.


End file.
